BRENTWOOD – A judge reinstated Rockingham County Attorney James Reams on Thursday, calling the attorney general's decision to suspend the longtime prosecutor as "unlawful" in the wake of presenting no criminal charges against him.

The decision will not immediately restore Reams to office. Judge Richard McNamara agreed to a 30 day stay of his decision so that the matter can be taken up by the state Supreme Court.

Reams' lawyer, Michael Ramsdell, said on Thursday that the decision by Judge Richard McNamara affirmed what his client believed all along.

"The attorney general overstepped his bounds," Ramsdell said. Attorney General Joseph Foster suspended Reams on the night of Nov. 6 amid an investigation that found the county attorney sexually harassed female employees, discriminated against others and mismanaged a forfeiture account.

Reams has denied any wrongdoing and is fighting removal proceedings alleging misconduct from office.

(For more on this story, see Friday's edition of the New Hampshire Union Leader.)